Florida residents have been warned to prepare for a direct hit, as Hurricane Matthew pounded the Bahamas after devastating parts of Haiti. <br/><br/>The State Governor said damages could be catastrophic and evacuation orders have been issued along the coast. US officials said Matthew, with winds of 205 kilometre per hour, is expected to strengthen and hit Florida as a Category Four storm. It has swept across the Caribbean, with the worst of the damage in Haiti. <br/><br/>At least 22 people have been killed in Haiti and thousands displaced. The storm has forced the presidential election there to be postponed. Four people were also killed in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.<br/><br/>The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm was strengthening over north-western Bahamas. All air and sea traffic has been halted and people urged to move to higher ground because of storm surges. Hurricane Matthew was expected to pass near Grand Bahama Island and move very close to the east coast of the Florida peninsula tonight.